ComPol Turns Prosecutor For Animal Cruelty Case

It's the act of animal cruelty that shocked the nation - 5 Belize City teenagers flogging a defenseless horse with a machete.
It's inexplicable until you understand that there are rival groups of young men in the Collet Area who collect horses - and also steal and torture each other's horses.
It's crazy stuff - and, appalled by this act of wanton animal cruelty - the public is calling out for stiff penalties for youths they see as menaces.
And perhaps that's why today no less than the Commissioner of Police appeared to prosecute the case.
The five teens, 2 of them aged 15, one aged 16 and two aged 19 are charged with "Cattle Theft " , "Cruelty to an Animal" and "Abetment to commit Cruelty to an Animal".

We spoke to the Commissioner outside of court as he waited for the arraignment to start:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I am here to do the arraignment for those persons who were charged with respect to the incident involving the horse."

"It's not a matter of slapping the books when we do charge, we have to do charges based on evidence that exists in the ice and so the police have charged those individuals with three counts, one count of cruelty to animal and one count of abetment to commit cruelty to an animal and one count of cattle theft."

"The last person who was being sought by the police was captured a few moments ago and that's the reason why we have put off the arraignment until this afternoon where that person will also be able to be arraigned with the others."

"It is something that is really outrageous, it has shocked the public sense, the public conscience and I think that we must give it great priority. Again as has been said by the humane society and even the ordinary Belizeans who witnessed what happened. They are saying that we need to do something that is going to send a strong signal we have many animals out here that are owned by people and we must always ensure that we care for these animals and we show empathy towards them. I for one I'm not an animal lover but I do respect those who love animals and I don't think anybody should treat and animal in such way as we have seen in that video footage so again I'm just here to do my part in ensuring that from the police department stand point we are determined to ensure that those persons who commit these types of acts that they are brought justice."

Youths Plead Guilty To Animal Cruelty But Get Bail Pending Sentencing

So, that was at midday - before the arraignment. At 2:00 pm, the 5 teenagers were taken into court 3 before a Senior Magistrate. They are 19 year olds Tyreek Straughn and Raheem Herbert. The other three are minors - two of them 15, the other 16.
Four of the five pleaded guilty to cruelty to an animal. Four were jointly charged with abetment to which Raheem Herbert pleaded not guilty.
All five pleaded not guilty to the more serious cattle theft charge. Despite a strong objection to bail from the commissioner - bail was granted with strict conditions.

For the animal cruelty charge - they will be sentenced in May - as the Commissioner explained.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"What happens today is that them having pled guilty to those two counts, and not guilty on one, the magistrate has now ordered that we return to court on the fifth of May, where she'll be hearing mitigation from the accused persons, and then the prosecution is going to certainly do a submission to oppose the mitigation."

"Certainly we'll be going for a term of imprisonment as opposed to a fine. And then, in respect to the count for which they had pled not guilty, she has adjourned that to a date in June, when the matter is going to be heard."

Jules Vasquez
"You had applied in court that no bail be granted, but that was unsuccessful. From a policing perspective, you have to be disappointed in that outcome."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well, the magistrate do have a right to exercise her discretion. Certainly we were hoping for a different outcome. I laid down the four grounds on which I believe that the court should not have granted bail. And those grounds include the fact that the offenses that are for which they are charged with are very serious offenses."

"We have to send a strong message to persons who are committing these type of activities, as well as to those who may intend to do so in the future. The third one was the callousness with which the young men perpetrated this crime."

"It shows that they have no regards to the life of these animals. And if they have no regards to the life of animals, then certainly they will not have regards to the life of human beings as well. And the last one was the fact that this is a crime or these are crimes that certainly shock the conscience of a society."

"And while, as I said to the magistrate, that the court should not act based on public pressure, public sentiment, the court do have a responsibility to address certain issues where in-piece of crime is concerned."

"Despite that, the magistrate in her wisdom decided that she was going to grant bail. to the accused persons and that is within her right. So I don't have an issue with that. I am satisfied with the conditions that she had placed on them whilst on bail."

"It is now my hope that they are going to comply with those conditions."

Jules Vasquez
"There's a lot of very serious and dangerous horseplay between these young men. And this is what ended up with the horse being aimed at, is there anything you all can do to stop this escalation?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"And again, Jews that what you just cited is clearly an indication that this is not going to stop. There is a very strong potential that it is going to continue. And I hope and pray that we're not going to be witnesses to another horse being mutilated the way how we saw in that video that was circulating recently."

Reporter
"The fact that they have antecedents. um in court as well can you speak about that? I don't know how many."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well the truth is um some of them have very long rap sheet and they're very young and to see they have such long rap sheet at such a young age I could just imagine and um and that was one of the reason why I believe that bail out not to have been granted because there's a very high potential that they will reoffend whilst on bail, not because you're objecting to bail means that you're trying to punish somebody and that's the reason why i've said to the magistrate that as a part of the condition of them being remanded that an order be made for them to undergo psychiatric evaluation, because certainly for for for persons to have committed the act that they did something has to be wrong with them psychologically and it would have been important for them to get that evaluation, it would have helped them um in a positive way so that they don't continue on this path that they're going."

The strict conditions for bail include that the accused are not to have any contact with the complainant, including no text messaging or social media posts - and that they must all comply with a curfew at 8pm nightly.

We note that the 16 year old said in court that he should get bail because he has horses to take care of -and that boys from a rival group come by his house to stay horses, which they allegedly also torture.

So, it's a gang rivalry where horses are collateral damage when they are stolen and tortured as means of retaliation.

Very ugly stuff - and the press asked the Compol if these boys - who have very scarce means should even have possession of these horses - especially when they are being used as proxies in a larger rivalry:

Reporter
"These children do not belong with horses that they are unable to take care of and mistreating."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Certainly, as I said this morning, Marisol that's a matter that will have to be undertaken by different entities. The police are already overburdened with other issues."

"We have been taking on a lot and I don't see the police taking on more of those responsibilities that should fall within the domain of other departments. So I saw what BAHA did recently with this Horse Wani. It shows that they are interested, they are committed as well and I'm certain if something were to go to them, some concerns, they would do what they can to be able to address it as well."

Owners Mistreat Their Pets But Enforcement Is Problematic

Earlier this morning - the commissioner spoke about the difficulty with regulating people's personal pets:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"That is not going to be something the police will be able to look at, it would fall more within the domain of health authority and perhaps maybe even BAHA and I know that DOE has a humane society that operates within Belize and I think they can all put their resources together and see what can be done to address those issues and I know for a fact while we do have these young people who may move around the city on these horses I think for the most part they do show a great degree of love towards these animals and so perhaps it can be that they do not have the means to properly cate for them and I think when we experience those circumstances then the wider society should see what they can do to assist these young men in caring for for their horses. Again I think if they have a pet I would still refer to a horse as a pet if it is that you can show care and empathy towards an animal that will also assist you in terms of your up bringing. I know I had a son and my son had a dog and he loved that dog so much that when that dog was knocked down and killed by a vehicle my son couldn't eat for over a week he was really and truly heartbroken because of that so I know for a fact that children do love animals so if you find a situation where they have pets and they care for them then I think we should help them to be able to care for more for the pet and keep the pet."

San Pedro's Sargassum Solution

For years, sargassum has been plaguing coastal communities across the country. But those from the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, along with San Pedro's area rep., may have a sargassum solution. Today, they showcased two harvesters that will go out into the sea and collect the sargassum before it gets to the shore.
They're hoping that this will only be the start, and that the rest of the country will follow suit to squash the sargassum situation.

Courtney Menzies was in San Pedro for a demonstration and has this story.

San Pedro Town is tackling its sargassum situation with newly purchased harvesters. These two machines will meet the smelly seaweed out in the water before it can even reach the shore. The harvesters essentially rake up the sargassum onto a conveyor belt which then dumps it onto the machine.

It's the start of a solution to a long time problem, and according to the Area Rep and Minister of the Blue Economy, it took about 18 months to get here.

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy
"These two harvesters are just prototypes that we're introducing and as I said earlier in my speech that when we got these two harvesters, they had to do a lot of modifications, retrofitting, so that it fits our waters, which of course our waters in Belize is very unique. So that took some time and now that it's working, you've seen for yourself that it's really working so now the community can expect that it's going to be placed to work but obviously two is not enough but now that we have done all the work, everything falls into place easily for example, sourcing more, eventually creating a fleet, bringing it here. Of course, Hol Chan is the custodian of these vessels, they are the ones who know how to service these machines, they are the ones who do the training, all of these things, they come with that so it's not only getting these harvesters."

And after the sargassum is collected, what happens next? Minister Perez says it can be used multiple ways, especially since it won't contain grains of sand.

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy
"Sargassum, there's always a lot of use for it, some people used it for landfill but there's always the problem of labor intensive collecting sargassum because it washes up on the shores. You have the council, you have all the resorts raking, and that becomes hard to collect because they're just putting lumps all across the beach. That's a problem to collect as well, it's labor intensive. Now, putting one set collection center, and it's clean because we're getting it from the water, then the distribution of it for anybody who wants to use it for filling up their land or to easily discard it away for landfill is going to be more manageable because it's one specific place so it eliminates a lot of resources."

But these two harvesters aren't enough to solve the issue for the rest of the country. However, with San Pedro leading the charge, Perez says it won't be hard for other communities and even the private sector to get onboard.

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy
"This is showcasing but it's going to have a cost so we're inviting everyone, they have seen it, we want to reach out together and as I rightfully said again, this is a collaborative effort between everyone, not only the government, Hol Chan, the private sector, the public, of course we want to thank Social Security for providing those funds. So all of this together, I see no reason why in the future we can't be making a big difference in the next couple of years in fighting, mitigating the issue of sargassum across this country. Not only San Pedro and Caye Caulker but all the different coastal towns."

Area Rep Skipped Public Meeting On Cayo Rosario, Says It's Spilt Milk

And while the Minister was at this event in San Pedro today, he was notably absent from the Cayo Rosario public meeting onTuesday night. The meeting was standing room only, overrun with residents, tour guides, fishers, NGOs, and even the town's PUP mayor.

When we asked Perez about the meeting, he said that while he agrees the island should have never been sold, there's no use crying over spilt milk and now the government must find a way to ensure that there is little to no environmental damage. Here's how he put it:

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy
"It's no different, of course, I commend them for coming out, I know they're passionate about it and I don't want to use words that is going to create any kind of feelings, it's not my intention. But this issue with Cayo Rosario, we all know, I had meetings with the stakeholders just a week before to inform them. We had a very fruitful meeting and I informed them what is the issue at hand and we did have a meeting eventually with all the members of the relevant departments, as it relates to Cayo Rosario and we agreed that we had to work more closely together in terms of when we're issuing all these permits for development, not only for Cayo Rosario but we looked ahead into how we can do it better in the future."

"One of the things that we agreed on and made clear to the developers is that there must be compliance so anything that is not compliant will be reported to the relevant department so that is soon to be coming out and when that comes out we'll make it public and if we see anything that isn't compliant, it has to be stopped."

Courtney Menzies:
"We know that the mayor was there and he was saying we have to fight against this development. I take it that you don't side with him, or the government doesn't side with him?"

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy
"Well I can't speak for the mayor, what was his idea but really at stake right here of course we are the government and we are not actually against our stakeholders. We are not against it, we are for development but at the same time we are very much in tune with what is conservation. sustainable is the key word to this so in terms of if the mayor was present, he's free to do that but for me, I already engaged with the stakeholders there to let them know what is happening. And it's not over yet, because we are still waiting for reports, what was the findings at Cayo Rosario. So it's for him to say, I have nothing to say, whether he spoke against the government or not, it's for you all to interpret. I take my stand that this Cayo Rosario project that we inherited, I think we need to be clear about that."

"That island should have never been sold from the very beginning. So that was the big mistake back then but why are we going to lament on it? But when we go to the previous administration, they knew that it shouldn't have been sold but yet they allowed the buyers to sell again and not only at this point they decided to sell again but to provide all of these concessions to build over the water."

"But I want to let you know that I remain calm, I remain focused. The endgame is compliance."

Is Perez's Popularity Slipping?

But if the Cayo Rosario development moves forward, will it hurt Perez's political popularity?
In last month's general elections, his Belize Rural South constituency only had 56% voter turnout and Perez received 900 fewer votes than he did in 2020, even though the voter list grew by 1,500 voters in that period.

We asked him if he thought his popularity was slipping - but he blamed the turnout on the UDP:

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy
"You have to look at the figures and you have to look at the studies because we have gotten all the reports and everything and basically what you're having is that mostly UDPs did not come out to vote, especially in Caye Caulker. You look at the figure in Caye Caulker and it's mostly UDPs that did not come out and vote so that isn't really less popularity, it's just that it was a clear mandate and the gap was wider in terms of that so I'm looking at that and we're seeing the figures and those that came out to vote and pretty much it was supporters of UDP. So I don't see why my popularity may have gone."

BRS Has To Be Split, What's The Solution?

And with Belize Rural South being the third largest constituency in the country and having more than 10,000 voters, what will it look like after redistricting?
The division will surely have to be split and it had been proposed that Caye Caulker could become part of Fort George.

But can a city area rep understand the needs of islanders? We asked Perez for his thoughts - but he played it safe.

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy
"Redistricting is imminent. I cannot say it needs to remain the same. Obviously, yes, this is the third largest constituency including Caye Caulker so naturally yes you want to say that Caye Caulker is always supported under the People's United Party. But I do understand that redistricting is imminent and if it has to be removed to balance off, I can't argue. It's just a matter of what comes away. So I'm not really losing sleep over what I'm going to be taking away, I don't see it that way, it just means that this country really needs redistricting and I'm supporting it."

Courtney Menzies:
"Do you think Fort George is the best fit?"

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy
"That's not for me to decide. But of course I believe our people of Caye Caulker should be consulted but in the end, they have a relationship with me, I have a relationship with them. It is my responsibility that whenever the time comes for redistricting and they are passed on to whatever division, it is my responsibility to make sure I pass on the baton the right way, correctly to introduce the new person to represent them amicably, show them all our accomplishments because in the next five years, I have work to do for them, I'm duly elected for the next five years so my job is to continue to do the work so that whenever I pass it on to the next area rep, that it is working and also to make sure that the most important thing that is valued there are the people of Caye Caulker."

ComPol Says Stolen License Plates Used For Crime Time

Earlier this week we showed you how a number of license plates had been stolen from parked vehicles in the Faber's road area.

Not all of them have been recovered as yet and the compol told us he has an idea more or less why someone would want to commit such a crime. He says they can be used to orchestrate other crimes.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Either its something the police is going to be looking at or I'm not sure if they have received any leads on that issue but again they are working in tandem with the traffic department to see what if anything can be obtained. I know that many of those persons who lost the license plate in that incident have reapplied to transport department and I am speaking about city traffic. It is being addressed from that standpoint and again if you know of anyone who is selling license plates it is good to report to the police so the police can go and see if in fact those plates are stolen. It seems to be something that forms part of the tourism industry because again I know that sometimes tourists may want to buy license lates and take back to their respective countries so that they can show well I was in Belize and I got this license plate from Belize so it is something we have to look at very seriously because it can also be another issue where the license plates are being stolen with the intent that they be used and placed on other vehicles to commit crimes so we have to look at it from all angles."

And while that is one theory - another is far simpler. You might not know it, but license plates are a hot item in the dark end of the tourist trade. Stolen plates are often offered for sale to cruise tourists as a unique Belize memento.

Police Close To Making Arrest For Marin Murder

And from Fabers Road to Majestic Alley the compol also spoke about the many measures taken to prevent any retaliation from happening following the Belmopan shooting that occurred in front of TJ supermarket. Yet still Luis Marin was killed as a consequence of it.

He says that they have made a breakthrough in their investigation and a suspect currently in custody will be charged soon.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"We are looking at that issue in Belmopan in the aftermath of that shooting there was a lot that we did to try an avert any possible retaliation, particularly in the Belmopan, Cotton Tree and Roaring Creek area. Unfortunately you see where it happened the retaliation took place in Belize City in an area where we did not anticipate it to have occurred. Nonetheless the police remain extremely vigilante in the areas of concern we always do out best to try and avert these things from occurring but sometimes the retaliation would happen outside of where the police normally expected it to occur so, I am happy to say the police have made great strides in the murder investigation now where the guys was killed, that is Louis Marin who was killed in the majestic alley area. The suspect for that matter is in custody and he should be charged today and should appear in court sometime this afternoon."

"We certainly believe that it has to do with the shooting in belmopan and it is a retaliation with respect to that shooting."

US Agents Assisting In Graham Creek Drug Plane

And outside of the city, the compol also spoke about how they have collaborated with US investigators to conduct a more in depth investigation on the gulf stream drug jet that landed in Graham Creek two weeks ago.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"That matter is still under investigation and it is being investigated by the major crimes unit and the DEA is apart of that investigation overseeing and making sure that what needs to be done is done and they are also assisting with equipments to do extractions from the cellphones of those officers and other electronic devices that have been found at that landing site and from other persons who have been detained as a part of that investigations it is still ongoing and I cannot say much about it at this time. Other than that it is an ongoing investigation."

A jet like that has a minimum carrying capacity of two and a half tonnes.

High Court Settles Seniority Dispute Between Deputies

And in policing news of another nature, a judgement was handed down today which should settle the legal dispute between the two deputy commissioners of police, Richard Rosado and Bart Jones.
The point is all but moot now - since Rosado has been chosen as the successor to Chester Williams - but two years ago it was a big deal when Jones challenged Rosado's promotion to Deputy in the High Court. He argued that no Deputy post was vacant at that time Rosado was promoted.
He was granted leave for judicial review and Justice Tawanda Hondora handed down his decision on this today. He found in favor of Rosado and dismissed the claim made by Jones. Hondora found that both officers had the same level of seniority but found that there was a discrepancy between the police force manual and the public service regulations.

Rosado's attorney Wayne Piper explained:

Wayne Piper, Attorney for Richard Rosado
"The summary of it all is the outcome is the claim by Bart Jones was dismissed. The court has dismissed the claim. The court has also, however, asked or directed the Security Service Commission to write to Mr. Jones within 30 days explaining the rationale for the date of his promotion on the grounds that he has a right to the reasons for that decision. But in terms of his challenge to Dr. Rosado's promotion, that claim has been entirely dismissed."

"After I think for Mr. Jones, in particular, it was a very important matter for him in his terms that he really believed that he should have been senior to Dr. Rosado based on his interpretation of the police manual."

"Our case on behalf of Dr. Rosado was, no, it's the public service regulations that have superiority in that regard. But I think the positive that would come out of this case in terms of jurisprudence in Belize is it has a healthy discussion on what constitutes legitimate expectation, whether or not Mr. Jones had a right to be consulted about a promotion of a fellow worker the judge comments on that in detail. And another thing that the judge has suggested is that the police force manual be amended to be consistent with the public service regulations."

Each side has to bear his own costs. Jones was represented by William A Lindo. The judgement can still be appealed.

Wannie The Wonder Horse Making A Slow And Easy Comeback

Wannie the horse has become a nationally known name in the past two days.
But, fortunately the unlikely equine celebrity is blind to the flurry of attention - and he's taking his recovery nice and slow.

Jomarie Lanza reports.

This is Wanny today, still holding on, recovering and douses in antibiotics and ointments. Though his healing process will be a slow and painful one it's a miracle that he is alive..His teenaged owner says it's thanks to the help they got from the vet who stepped in.

Devonte Broaster, Owner of Horse
"It the do good, because people gave me things to help him out. They said he is strong and will get back and we just have to clean him and deal with it every day."

"They gave him antibiotics, pain killers and thing for deworming as well, a medicine for deworming."

Broaster says he still can't wrap his head around how someone could have done this to his horse, but he is glad that he is now eating and moving around which is a good sign.

Devonte Broaster, Owner of Horse
"I don't know why they did that for because its a horse, if they wanted to do me anything they could have come and do me that."

"They chanced my horse, this is a good horse, he runs and everything I don't know why they did that for."

"He is eating, drinking water and everything he is moving about, he is good now."

Vet Association: Belize's Legislation On Animal Cruelty Needs To Catch Up

And the Veterinary Association of Belize says that what happened to Wannie is only the tip of the iceberg. The president, Dr Victor Gongora, says they see many instances of animal abuse, and that Belize's legislation needs to catch up.

Dr Victor Gongora, President, Veterinary Association of Belize
"To us, it's like the tip of the iceberg and it has been ignored for a long time, all the inhumane actions against animals. And unfortunately, we feel that there is no law in Belize that can seriously address animal welfare issues in Belize. We have 2 legislation in place that I know. We have the dog act, we have the pounds act, and I think we have the cruelty to animals act. But these we were done, you know, we are a British Colony and the British are very much for animal welfare so these laws were put in place since 1857 and I think just in 1958 they were kinda revisited. But you can see that they were long ago so they were very outdated and as we have seen, the commissioner saying that you charged a person $100 for an offense so really they are outdated and we need to address it as a national concern."

"As a vet you just have to open your eyes and see it everywhere. You drive from here, San Ignacio, to Belmopan, you see, you just look at the pastures, you look at the yards, you see animals being neglected all the time. This is irresponsible or just people not knowing any better and so if we do any legislation, we'll have to put a lot of education into it."

"We also know that when animals are abused, the people abusing them are also a problem and that sometimes we see patients in the clinic that are abused and that can point to domestic abuse as well so we'll see that it's not just an easy problem to deal with, it's multiple factors involved in animal abuse so I think the legislation is a point to start so that we can be responsible about ownership and we can have a structure and a system in place to address animal welfare concerns in the country."

They are now calling on the Minister of Agriculture to take the matter to Cabinet.

Jaguar Was Shot Before It Was Knocked Down And Killed

And in another case of animal cruelty - this one perhaps accidental - we have the result of a necropsy on a wild jaguar that was found dead on the roadside yesterday morning.

According to a necropsy, before being knocked down and killed, the jaguar had been shot sometime during its life. The Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic also stated that this jaguar is the 5th of its species to die from a road traffic accident this year.

Youth Advocates Demand A Seat At The Table With Minister Mahler

And like the vet association, another interest group is calling on its minister to please stand up.
RISE Belize - which represents youths - put out a press release today requesting an open and constructive dialogue regarding the current and future direction of the Department of Youth Services.
As has been well publicized, the new Minister Anthony Mahler plans to shake things up because the department was spending most of its budget paying salaries with nothing left for actual programs for its clients who are youths.
So now, RISE is calling Minister Mahler and his minister of state an opportunity to open dialogue because they believe that the youths should have a voice in a ministry designed to assist and address their concerns.

They told us more about it Via zoom, as to why they deserve a seat at the table.

Ashley Longford, Youth Leader, Rise Belize
"So, really, this is a coalition between youth led organization advocates networks because honestly, we if you saw it on the news recently they're going through a lot of revamping a lot of transitioning happening. So it was the right time for us as a youth organization fit from YLAB also and so Marissa's from BYM she's a youth ambassador as well. It's time for us to come together and show that we are willing to have some sort of partnership or collaboration with the department and see that, you know, youths need to be on the table, that we're not also taken as tokens So we need to be on the table and we need to start, creating better decisions for our country and for the youths in Belize. So that was the reason why that we started to have rise Belize and then the name Rise Belize it was a national coalition between different youth led organisations and advocates."

Marissa Cervantes, Youth Leader, Rise Belize
"I think we have always had a voice we just really didn't have a platform. And to be fair, social media has been one of our most useful, platforms. We are very tech savvy. We've always, engage with one another. It's just, you know, we came together. It was very natural for us to do so, as Ashley mentioned, I mean, just timings . And I think at the end of the day really and truly, we, we see what's happening in the Belizean society large, adults complain that, you know the spirit of, of volunteerism is not so, profound that it as it you know once was. But I think we as a dedicated group, realised the need for us to simply put party politics aside and focus on nation building. And we want to see a future where young people can actively participate. We don't want to only criticise. We want to be a part of the solution as well. And I think we're very prepared. And we, of course, extend the opportunity for Minister Anthony Mahler and Minister Devyn Daly to accept our invitation so that we can find some type of middle ground, because really and truly, when it comes to policy, it it really directly impacts us, the young people, our everyday lifestyle. And so I think, it's time that we really come together and try to find a balance and, and, and share a vision, one where young people, can enjoy a future that is more participatory when it comes to democracy."

Major Collision Between Pickup And Loaded Cane Truck Without Lights

And, now in other news, there was a serious road traffic accident last night that left two men with major injuries. It happened when a pickup crashed into a cane truck which was parked on the side of the Phillip Goldson Highway - between Buena Vista and San Pablo Village between miles 64 and 65. The landed cane truck reportedly had no lights and the pickup ran right under it.

36 year old Henry Cunningham from Belize City was driving the pickup and suffered a broken hip and a head injury.

As CEO Transport, ComPol Says Reckless Driving Is Top Priority

Indeed, the highways are wild and dangerous.

And as he prepares to move onto his role as CEO The Compol spoke more about what his areas of interest would be within the ministry, particularly in the transport department. He says from the observations that he has made one of his biggest concerns has to do with reckless driving and how it can be prevented. He spoke more on this today.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I am, I would say I'm a keen observer but I'm more than just a keen observer I have seen a number of issues in the transport industry, a number for issues as it relates to the use of our roads and these are issue that certainly need to be addressed I have been in dialogue with my future minister, minister Zabaneh in terms of looking at some of the things we want to see done within the transport ministry and certainly road safety is a priority. I am not going to go into details at this Time in terms of what my plans will be because I believe that I would need to sit-down with the chief transport officer or that is, and his deputy as well as to meet with the persons who are in charge of DOT across the country and get feedback from them and based on that to put together a plan of action that is going to be implemented to make our highways safer so I will leave it at that for now and when I fully take over my new office then we can have an entire dialogue on what the plan is going to be moving forward."

Indigenous Affairs Very Involved, ComPol Says He's A Seine Bight Boy

But apart from his new role in transport the compol says that he is confident he will be able to fit right in the ministry as he goes along even in other areas which require a bit more nuance and precision. He says he is optimistic that he will do well assisting in the Indigenous affairs portfolio because of his childhood in the south.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Um no I must say that as a child growing up I went to primary school l in most of the villages in the Toledo District I went to Santa Elena primary school, I went to pueblo viejo primary school, San Antonio primary school, Columbia, I lived with one of my uncle and aunt and they were teachers in the Toledo district and every year we moved from one village to the other and so I was privileged to have attended most of my primary school years in the mayan villages in Toledo district so I, of course I do like caldo. In my younger years I could have spoken Maya to some extent, but now its been so many years and I've lost that touch but certainly I don't foresee and issue and there is going to be a lot of legal issues in that and I will just have to acquaint myself with the CCJ judgement or the court of appeal judgment on that matter but there is also the judgment of Reef Volcan from the court of appeal in Belize which I believe is very interesting and then acquaint myself with the CCJ judgment which I believe is very interesting and then acquaint myself with the CCJ Judgment the consent order and from there I think it should be smooth sailing."

Sarteneja Community Came Out For Marroquin, ComPol Says Message Received

And though the compol will be leaving his seat in the police department, Sergeant William Marroquin in Sarteneja will not after his transfer was rescinded because of the community's strong reaction. The Compol says he saw it best to leave Marroquin where he is for now, and we asked him why.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I don't think The police officer was reluctant to be transferred the police officer do understand that we are a disciplinary organisation and as a part of our work week we must move and when you are told to be transferred but it is expected that you are going to take up your transfer but again Mr Maroquin has been working in Sarteneja for about 2 years now and the people of the village do like the way he works and I can tell you that he has been instrumental in two major drug busts in that area and just last year and so the people have gotten to like him and they are comfortable with him policing the village and it has been a problematic area for us before he went there and so having heard the complaints of the people, I have decided to rescind the transfer of Mr Maroquin and he will remain in Sarteneja for a little while longer."

ComPol On US Fugitives

Last night we shared with you that 2 US fugitives hiding out in Belize have been returned to the US. And last week there was another. We asked the compol about this today and their collaboration with US authorities to assist in locating these fugitives.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well again we continue to work with our counterparts and occasional we get information of a fugitive being here, there or somewhere and once that occurs then we get into motion working with the US Embassy. Identifying the location and then we do surveillance and eventually we move in an apprehend. We have done that recently with a number of fugitives from the US and once that occurred then they are then taken back to the US where they will then face whatever charges they may have to face in the United States."

"I have not been following the deportation much I can't really give you an answer but I know that I have seen lists with a number of persons returning home but very little if any at all as it relates to persons of interest. Those persons that we have seen coming home are not persons of interest to us and so we just go through the normal routine with them so we are with those who are of interest to us."

Did ComPol Cross The Line With Cyberbullying Charges?

And finally forms he compol tonight, yesterday you saw that he dropped the cyber crime charges against his older brother for spewing comments against him on social media. Some say that the compol may have been too harsh or he had over reacted, because after all being talked about on social media is nothing strange - especially for public figures. But the compol says he cannot afford to take these things lightly and that's why he took it upon himself to follow through with a report. The compol explained why.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"That is the view of those persons and I respect their view. I must say that as an individual people say things about me on social media everyday and I don't care but at the end of the day I am a public figure and I am subject to be criticised but when you are going to call me corrupt I will not countenance it. I have worked in this department for over 33 years and I have done my utmost best to maintain my integrity. And so if a person were to say I am corrupted I am this or I am that I am going to have them prove that to the court. Bring your evidence before the court and prove that I am such I am not like the ordinary public who can go and back and forth with somebody on social media I cannot do that. The nature of my art does not require me to do that it is going to be unprofessional and so I have to find other ways to defend my character and so I defend my character using the court system, the law was put into place to protect against cyber bullying and If it is that there are people out there who do not wish to make use of the law that is there business. The law is there for all of us to use and if anybody believes that they are being cyber bullied by another then they have the same right as I do in going to the police, making a complaint and take the matter before the court so that the person who is bullying you or whatever can go to court and say to defend their position and that is all I have to say on that matter."

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

ADVERTISEMENTS: